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Music industry moves global album release day to Fridays

As we reported last August, the idea of the music industry moving the global album release day to Fridays (instead of the traditional Tuesdays) was picking up some steam.

Today, head of International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Frances Moore, has confirmed that “by the summer this year new releases will be issued at 00:01 on Fridays.”

“Music fans live in the digital world of today,” wrote Moore. “Their love for new music doesn't recognise national borders. They want music when it's available on the internet — not when it's ready to be released in their country. An aligned global release day puts an end to the frustration of not being able to access releases in their country when the music is available in another country. This is particularly prevalent in a world united by social media, where fans can instantly see friends or family in other countries enjoying the music they want.”

As Billboard reported, however, not everyone sees this as a good move. Beggars Group chairman Martin Mills recently wrote: “I fear this move will also lead to a market in which the mainstream dominates, and the niche, which can be tomorrow's mainstream, is further marginalized.”

Nonetheless, the question for us remains: How will this impact our scene? 

It's hard to say, honestly. Until the numbers start coming in, it's very difficult to predict how people will react to having music released right before the weekend, rather than on Tuesdays.

What do you think? Do you see it as a good move? 

[Pictured: Dusty Groove]

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